All language subtitles for Bhuvan Shome (Mrinal Sen, 1969) ENG

Mr. Jadhav, is big boss
really coming?

Coming? You can say he's come.
The train will come anytime now.

Let's see what scene he creates.

Is there anything against you?
- Meaning?

Exactly what I said.
The jerk Shome is a real...

Anyway, forget it,
let's have tea.

Okay tell me, what have I done?

And what little I have done,
is not for me alone.

Don't others do it?
Then why am only I being blamed?

Why the report only in my name?

Look, he's coming here now. Plead
with him, maybe he forgives you.

Are you crazy? You think
Mr. Shome will forgive?

No point pleading before him.

But then, two months hence,
I'm bringing my bride home.

What if a report is filed against me?

I've repeatedly said, I don't
like this 'yes boss! ' attitude.

You will not be able to
please me with flattery.

I'm an old fashioned man.
'Duty first, self last' is my motto.

Do your duty well,
I'll be happy with you.

If you don't work diligently,
or do something unwarranted...

know that you won't be spared.

Saluting me won't work.

That ticket collector,
Jadhav Patel was here.

Jadhav!

He's standing here so innocently.
He knows how to make money.

He's an expert at taking bribes.

Don't worry,
your report is ready.

The way he stares at you.

It is your wish, whether
you call him good, or bad.

But Bhuvan Shome is such a man.

Some people say
he is very stubborn.

Or does anyone dismiss
his own son from a job?

What could I do? Make him
sit in my lap and praise him?

There's a limit to
being irresponsible.

He treated office as the bazaar.

Without informing anyone,
he suddenly disappeared one day

Wonder who that Guru is whose
birthday he went to celebrate in

Kashi.
And yet people expect me

to treat him well.
Idiot!

He's become a teacher. He's teaching
in Guruji's celibate Ashram.

He failed thrice in his last year of
graduation, and now he's a teacher.

For any years, after spending a
strange and lonely life...

suddenly today, Mr. Shome came out
of the four walls of his office...

into a new world.

Always alone, absolutely alone.
That's been his life.

Now look, until his wife was alive,
he never let her live in peace.

He made her life miserable
with his strange habits.

He has an only son
who also does not live with him.

But yes, his colleagues
do respect him a lot.

But the moment he turns his
back, they say, 'the jerk! '

Bengal.

Golden Bengal!

Great Bengal!

Unique Bengal.

Long live revolution!

It's very straight with us.
If our demands are not met...

we, workers of film industry,
will not allow films to be exhibited.

Bhuvan Shome is from this Bengal.
An absolutely honest man.

Even after living outside
Bengal for so many years...

he hasn't lost
his Bengali character.

Bhuvan Shome, a true blue Bengali!

Mr. Shome is a senior officer
with the railways.

A very diligent worker,
and very honest.

He has seen a lot in life.

But wonder whether he has
learnt anything from it or not.

And this is his world.

After spending 25 years
as a strict disciplinarian...

Mr. Shome suddenly,
perhaps unknowingly...

started feeling strange.

He started getting bored of
his dull life.

And Mr. Shome reached a
famous hunter's home.

Hunting.

Very terrifying.

And he decided even he will hunt.

He took leave from office one day,
and came here for hunting.

But what will Mr. Shome hunt?

Lions?

No, all that is...

After thinking a lot,
he decided he must hunt birds.

And he became a bird expert.

And then, one day, he set
out on his hunting expedition.

He will live in this
guest house tonight.

His bird hunting expedition
will begin tomorrow.

He will travel for about
10 miles in a bullock cart.

And then he'll walk.

People think this is
Mr. Shome's new interest.

Dinner is ready, sir.

Hindi. So you can speak Hindi too?
- Yes sir.

The watchman of the guest house
told me you don't understand Gujarati.

I know Hindi, I understand
Hindi. Don't worry.

That's why you sang a Hindi song?

People from different places come
here, and I have rode them all.

So I learnt Hindi.

I can speak Rajasthani too.
- Is it? - Yes.

Bengali...
- What, sir?

Can you speak Bengali?
- Bengali?

Acting smart?

Why are you riding so fast?

What, sir?
- Ride slow.

Why, sir?
- Your cart will break.

No sir, it will not break.
It's very strong.

There is no other cart
as strong as mine.

I said ride slow!
- Scared, sir?

How will I not be scared?
You were riding so fast.

Ride slow, then no
one will be troubled.

Not you, not your bullocks.
- My bullocks are strong, sir.

They don't have any problem.

Ride slow. If I ride slow,
how will he get to kill birds?

What did you say?
- You are saying, ride slow.

If I ride slow,
you will get late.

And if you get late,
the birds will be gone.

And if the birds are gone,
your going there will be useless.

How far do we have to go?
- Very far.

And you have to walk a lot.
- Okay then, ride faster.

All right.
- And listen, don't be hasty.

All right, sir.

What happened?

Why were you doing 'katu kutu'
to the bullocks?

Kutu kutu?
- Not 'kutu kutu', 'katu kutu'.

Katu kutu?
- Don't know what 'katu kutu' is?

No.
- Sursuri.

What?
- What were you doing to the bullocks?

That! Tickle?

Sir, if I don't tickle them,
they will not run fast.

If they don't run fast,
you will get late.

If you get late,
the birds will be gone.

And if the birds are gone,
your going there will be pointless.

Okay, ride fast.

Sir, what word did
you use for tickle?

Katu kutu.
- Not that, that other word.

Sursuri.

Want to be a linguist?

Which village is this?
- Mallakamb. It's a big village.

Sir is going to hunt birds.

Sir is going to hunt birds.

Hey!
- Yes sir?

Why did you stop?

Doesn't he want to looks at girls?

What is your name?
- Singh.

Singh? Meaning?
- Singh. Peanut. Don't you understand?

Then what do you understand?

Singh! Peanut! Groundnut.
Do you eat groundnuts?

Who gave you such a silly name?
- It's not silly, it's a nice name.

My aunt named me.
I was born in a groundnut field.

That is why I was named Singh.

Look, those groundnut fields,
I was born there.

My mother died after delivering me.

Buffalo!

Get off.

That's a buffalo.
- He's a terror.

He's wild. Everyone is scared
of him. Get off quickly.

Hurry! Don't shoot!
- Why?

Just get off quickly. Hurry!

Shall I take my luggage?
- Run quickly, sir!

Shall I take this too?
- Take everything, hurry!

This...
- Run!

Go away!

Don't do that... don't do that.

Do something! Hey, Singh!

No, it's okay.

Why fear a buffalo?

Run! Hurry! Climb up the tree!

Acting naughty again?

You got beaten in the morning,
yet you are the same! Shameless!

Sir cannot go because of you.
Stay there. Idiot!

You were beating her.
- Look up there on the tree.

Shut-up!

Let's go home.

She's gone.

Hey! Where did my cart go?

My bullocks ran away.
What a bother!

Don't waste time now.
I'll have to find the bullocks.

You will get late. I'll look for
my bullocks, you walk straight.

Walking?
- Yes.

You will come across a village,
and then a river.

You will find a lot of birds
near the river.

I'll find the bullocks
and wait here for you.

Meet me here.

Don't worry, I'll find the
bullocks and wait here.

Don't worry, meet me here.
I will come here. Don't worry, sir.

Meet me here, in this village,
in Mallakamb village.

It's a mud pipe.

I've come to hunt birds.

Where can I find them?

You don't understand Hindi?

Big village.

True. It is a big village.

I have come to hunt birds.

The bullocks ran away.

I'm going to walk.

The river where the birds are found?

You show me the way.

I'll pay you.
- No.

Take it.
- No.

Why won't you take?
You'll have to take it.

Show me the way.
You'll have to take the money.

Why won't you take it?
Show me the way.

Come.

I'll show him the way and come back.

Come.

Come... come after me.

Hey! Come here! This side!

Sir... sir! Come here. This way.

Over here.

Come here.

Buffalo!

Hey! Throw the cigar.

Or the birds will fly away.

Father has sent a cot for you.

He's asked you to sit.

If you wish, you can
come home and take rest.

Father has said so.

What are you looking? The birds
will not come here for an hour now.

Who is your father?

Look, that neem tree...
not there, over here.

Our home is behind it.

My father's name is Damu Patel.
He'd seen you.

Seen me?

He'd see me dead.
Your buffalo almost killed me.

Sit on the cot.
- No.

If you don't sit,
father will scold me.

So what can I do?
I have come here to hunt...

not to rest.

Scold you? Put your
buffalo after your father.

He will forget to scold.

The birds here are very smart.
- Because you couldn't kill them?

Why do you shoot them?
What wrong have they done?

You eat meat?

Vegetables?
- Yes.

What wrong have they done?
Why do you cut and eat them?

There is life even in them.
Even they get hurt when cut.

Really? I didn't know that.

But how can birds
and vegetables be the same?

When you cut birds they flutter,
they bleed.

But vegetables?
They neither flutter, nor bleed.

You like bird meat?
- I quit when I was little.

Then why do you hunt?

You defeated me.
Are there bed bugs in this?

Bed bugs? No. It would be nice if
there were. They would bite you.

Hello.
- My father.

Father, good you came.

Your daughter speaks fluent Hindi.
Where did she learn it?

She has spent her childhood in
her uncle's home in the city.

She learnt it there.
She can read and write Hindi.

Is it? She knows to read and
write too? Your girl is intelligent.

It's your grace, sir.

Father, I'm leaving. You
bring the cot, it's very heavy.

Where are you taking my gun?
Give my gun.

What will you stand here and do?
Come home.

You will get the gun
when you need it.

Sir, this girl is very stubborn.

Once she decides something,
she does it.

Now you will have to come home.

I have told her not to act
stubborn with others.

But this girl doesn't understand.

Sir, she lost her mother
in her childhood.

She was pampered in her uncle's home.
So she does what comes to her mind.

She's crazy.
- Crazy?

When you fired the first shot,
I saw you then.

But the way you fired, I understood
you are an inexperienced hunter.

Sir, if you fire like that, you
won't be able to kill a single bird.

Why?
- You don't hunt like that here.

Hunting is done differently here.

This buffalo listens
to your daughter.

Yes sir. Gauri has
reared him since childhood.

He's Gauri's pet.
It was a quiet calf.

So she named him Sheetal (calm).

But now he's a terror.
He creates a ruckus.

Gauri.
- Yes father?

Sir will eat, and then take rest.

Did you understand that?
Father is saying...

eat something first,
then take rest.

Go with him and help him hunt.

I told him hunting
is done differently here.

Don't worry, Gauri is very smart.

She will teach you how to hunt.

Sir, I'm worried about this girl.
She roams around all day.

She has grown so big,
but she is not worldly wise.

Her 'aanu' is a few days away.
Know what 'aanu' is?

Her groom will come to take her.
She'll have to go to her in-law's

home.
She will be burdened

with responsibility.
I don't know what will happen then.

Don't worry, everything
will be fine with time.

What does your son-in-law do?
- He's working with the railways.

Railways?
- Yes. It surprises me too.

No one used to do a job before.
Everyone worked in the fields.

But times change.

But Gauri is lucky.
I've got a good son-in-law.

What does he work as?
- He's at a good post. A ticket man.

Ticket man?
- Yes. He checks everyone's tickets.

Ticket collector?
- Yes. He earns a good salary.

He even earns extra.
- Extra?

I mean, tips.

Wash your hands.
- What are you doing!

Why did you bother?
I have brought my food along.

It's not much, just a poor farmer's
fare; only buttermilk and rotla.

Please eat.
- But I'm carrying food.

So what? You will have to eat.
- You are our guest.

Eat for my sake,
it will make me happy.

Give it to your father too.
- You eat first. Guest first.

Water?

Can I wash my hands here?

Eat... you didn't eat anything.

Please eat...a little more.

Father.

Sir, I'll take your leave now.
I have to go.

I have to go far.
- Where?

Tansa. I have fields even there.

Gauri, take care of him.
Make his stay comfortable.

Good day.
- Good day.

The mattress is laid.
You can take rest.

How far is Tansa?
- 3 miles.

3 miles!
- Yes. Father goes there everyday.

You are not eating lunch?
- I ate long ago.

Who is this for?
- For Sheni.

I have to take care of her too.
When I leave for my in-laws...

who will feed her?
I keep worrying about that.

Who is Sheni? Your sister?

No, a blackbird, my pet.

She's gone to pick grains.
She will come now.

When she sees there is
no food, she screeches.

Gauri, your husband
works with the railways?

Father told you?

What's his name?

What's his name?
- Dhut! I can't take his name.

You can write.
Write his name and show me.

What is the matter?

Look, he...
- Look, my blackbird!

Sheni was born on that
mango tree.

One morning, I saw Sheni
fallen on the floor.

Good I was passing by. I brought
her home and put her in a cage.

Her mother used to come everyday.
She would give her butterflies to eat.

I used to give her rice.

One day she was missing.
I thought it was better.

Who would look after her everyday?

But when I returned from the
fields, I saw she was back here.

She puffed herself, shook her
neck and said, 'give me food! '

Since that day, she leaves every
morning, and returns at mealtime.

But why hasn't she come yet today?
Ah! Maybe because you are here.

Go inside and take rest.
- But... I don't want to rest.

What a bother!

Listen! Come here.
Come... Sheni has come.

Sheni, my blackbird. Come.

Damn! She flew away.

Okay, tell me, why is
everyone so scared of you?

The birds, Sheni.
Only Sheetal is not scared of you.

You won't take rest?

Gauri, whose picture
is that in the room?

Which one?
- There's only one picture in the room

Nice face. Who is he?

Nobody.
- It is somebody's.

How is he related to you?

He's not.

I know whose photo it is.

Your husband.

Oh! So you know him?
- Yes. He is very evil.

You are right.
Know what he's written to me?

That I should write to him everyday.

He's sent me coloured paper,
envelope, pen, everything.

But I don't have the time.
I have to work all day.

And the post office is also
very far from here.

And I shouldn't be writing
to him either now.

How do you know him?
- Even I work with the railways.

Oh! Do you have a senior officer
named Shome in your office?

Mr. Shome.

I've heard he
reports about everyone.

My husband wrote Mr. Shome
has reported about him too.

Has Mr. Shome
reported about you too?

No.
- He says Mr. Shome is very bad.

He even dismissed his son
from the job.

He's evil, just like Sheetal.

He gets angry with everyone.

You are right.
Do you know Jadhav accepts bribes?

What? Bribe?

You also call it bribe?
He doesn't accept bribes.

He gets a salary from the railways,
and extra income from passengers.

I mean, he gets tips.
- Tips and bribes are the same thing.

No! You don't know anything.

The truth is, he makes the
passengers journey comfortable.

And they tip him in return.
That's not bribe.

Know what the truth is?
No one gives Mr. Shome any money.

That is why he is jealous
and reports about everyone.

I know him very well!

Is it? You know him?
- I've not seen his face.

But I do know how he must be.

I think more hunters have come.

Hurry, or they will make
all the birds fly away.

Wait!

Take, wear this.
- What is this?

Clothes. Wear them.

What are you looking?
Go inside and change. Hurry!

But why?
- Because I'm telling you.

Seeing your dress,
the birds will get scared.

Don't you remember? Father said
hunting is done differently here.

So I'll have to
wear these clothes?

Yes.
- I've never heard of such a thing!

How would you?
You've come only today.

I understand that.
- Then why are you taking so long?

Go!
- Must I?

Yes.

You think the birds won't
fly away seeing me in this dress?

No. You got busy talking now.
Go!

Over there?

But why??

What now?...Why did you come out?
You're worst than children.

What happened?

You are joking! Will I have to
wear these clothes to hunt birds?

I'll have to dress like a villager?
No, you're joking.

God! You don't even
understand that much.

The birds here don't recognise
the clothes you are wearing.

Seeing your clothes, they will
understand you are not a local...

you are a stranger. Seeing a
stranger, they will get scared.

If they get scared, they will fly
away. And if the birds fly away...

who will you hunt? You understand?

The clothes are dirty.
They are stinking.

No, it's okay. The birds
recognise these clothes.

Let me see.

It's small.
- No, it's okay. Stand up.

No, you're very tall.
Sit down.

Why? What do you want to do?
- Won't you wear the turban?

Turban? No, it's okay like that.

Then you won't be able to hunt. The
birds will know you have come to hunt.

Have patience.
Let me wear the turban.

See what I make of you.
You'll look like a villager.

What is this?
I'll have to look like this?

Let me see.
How many fingers are these?

Maybe two.
- And now?

Four.
- Right.

Now even if you go near them,
they won't be scared.

They will think you are a farmer.
- Because you say so.

Watch what happens. Wear these.

These?

They don't know how to hunt...

and they are out hunting.

Wait.

Take this... and give me that... give!

If the birds see the gun in your
hand, it'll all be over.

And if they see it in your hand...
What's going on?

I'll go under cover.
- Under cover?

Yes.
- And I?

Like people go.
- Carrying a stick? - Yes.

And go close to the bird?
Very close?

And how will I kill them?
With the stick?

No, don't use the stick.
I'll give you your gun.

Let's go... take.

My luggage is inside,
will anyone steal it?

No.
- Wait a minute.

We'll go to the river side.

We'll be able to see from a distance
where the birds are perched...

from the ghost house.

Where are you going?
- Ghost house. Come.

Whose house is this?

It was the king's earlier.
No one lives here now.

I've heard there are ghosts here.

What?
- It's beautiful!

When I was little,
father used to tell me a story.

He used to say it used to
be very hot in olden times.

In his palace, the king would feel
very uncomfortable in the heat.

So he would come to the riverside,
here, in this bungalow.

And he would stay here all summer.
It is never hot here.

A nice breeze blows here.
A cool breeze.

Look, there was a swing here.
The queen would swing on it all day.

"The princess sways on the
swing..."

"with her friends"

And in the evening, the king
and queen would come and sit here...

and look at the river.

The king would narrate
stories to the queen.

He knew many stories.

He would sometimes tell her stories
of other countries...

sometimes of battles,
and sometimes about hunting.

There were no ghosts in those times,
so how would he tell her ghost

stories?
He would even tell her stories of

lion, tigers, and even deer.
And listening to stories, the

queen...Hey! Look! Over there!
They flew away.

Let's go on the hill,
the sand dune.

Stay here. Come when I call you.
- Wait...I locked it.

Birds have come. Lots of them.
They'll stay here now. For very long.

Don't be hasty. Come.

Don't make noise. Come.
No noise.

You know the birds are very smart.
- The gun.

You'll get it in time.

You brought the stick?
- It's over there.

So much breeze, so much sand.
You cannot see clearly.

The birds will come again.

Can you pose as a tree?
- Tree?

Wait, I'll be back.

What is all this?
- Wait.

You'll have to pose as a tree.
- Tree?

Yes. I have brought this
from the village close by.

You won't have any problem,
just stand still for some time.

The birds will think
you really are a tree.

No...no.

Climb up... higher up... slowly.

He's not dead, he's alive.
The bullet didn't hit him.

The gunshot scared him and
he fell down. Only out of fear.

I'll leave, I have
to walk a long distance.

Tell your father
his daughter is very good.

Won't you take him along?
- I forgot.

You can keep it as a pet.
- Let's see.

I've heard they cannot
live without their partner.

Even I've heard that.

You have walked far enough.
Go back, I'll manage from here.

Aaojo (come again)

Say, 'Bhalle' (I will)
- Bhalle?

Listen.

Want to say something?

Jadhav's taking money
like that is wrong.

That's what you said.
- Yes.

Then I'll write to him.
He'll never do it again.

He'll surely heed me.

Tell me, do you know Mr. Shome
who is in your office?

Do you know him?
- Why?

Ask him not to dismiss Jadhav.

He will never do this again.

If he loses his job,
he won't come to take me...

and I won't be able
to go to my in-laws home.

But all this you are asking
me to tell him...

Even he is working,
he has to follow rules.

Yet, will you tell him?

I'm going.

Hey! You're back?

I was thinking, I'm alone.
What will I do with this bird?

You can keep him like
a pet, like Sheni.

You keep him.
You will take good care of him.

But you caught him with so
much difficulty. You keep him.

You love birds, don't you?
You keep him.

You really are giving it to me?
- Yes.

He will be good company
for your Sheni.

And then, he won't be afraid of you.
Everyone is afraid of me.

I'll leave, it's very late.

Say aaojo.

Next time I come here,
I'll surely hear you sing.

Since how many years
are you working here?

It's five years now.

And before that?
- This is my first job.

Where did you get
this wrong training?

You've become an
expert very soon.

I don't understand.

Read it, you will
understand everything.

Why don't you take it?

Shall I?
- Yes.

Read it.

See what you've been doing.

Give it to me.

Take, burn it.
Wear the ash as a charm.

Listen...I spared you this time.

Hereafter, think carefully
about how you work.

I'll hunt birds today.

After Mr. Shome left, that girl got a
letter from her husband, Jadhav Patel.

In the end, he had
written, 'my job was saved'

'I have been transferred
to a big junction'

'Know what a big junction means?
More money'